Hot on the tails of an announcement by the Office of National Statistics to that one in five of Britain's young adults are in unemployment there has been discussion as to whether starting vocational courses at the end of compulsory schooling is the way forward. To this end, a recent article in The Guardian has considered this in terms of such vocational schemes as those offered by corporations like McDonald's.
Here you are given the opportunity to work within said organisation at a level which allows you to pick up the basic skills needed in the working world. The hike in university tuition fees along with the increased numbers applying for university places, has furthered the idea that this may be a new and realistic alternative. The Prime Minister has signalled his intent to improve our schools and education system, with a focus on rebuilding our manufacturing sector with youth employment. Despite the increasing cost of going to university it is not time to give up on further education. However, there is most definitely a case for increased exposure to this vocational avenue. It allows those that are perhaps not suited to university, in the midst of an overwhelming number of graduates coming out with degrees which are neither traditional nor job focused i.e. sociology, media studies, to experience the working world and indeed build qualifications within that field.
Yet in my view, this is only half the battle. Having had the privilege of attending university myself, there is still great validity in the skills picked up and while there are some drawbacks, for instance the system in Britain is really 'a get what you want out of it' situation rather than my experience of higher education in the USA where you are consistently pushed and urged to achieve, university limiting is by no means limiting in a working sense. There are opportunities to acquire valuable work experience while also gaining a credible education, whether it be through voluntary means, internships or simply a paid part-time bar job there are ways to get your foot on the working ladder alongside your degree.
The 'paradigm shift' described in the Guardian article suggests that the switch to vocational avenues will be taken on even by those who once considered attending top universities, however I believe taking the 'McJob' route is unlikely to ever be fully realised. Indeed, there shall never be a replacement to not just the education and skills but the stature that comes with being a graduate and vocational jobs through corporate entities are a good way of increasing choice in time where money becomes a greater consideration in taking on further education, ultimately though this is anything but the death of the graduate job.
